


Strange Love, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love War

by Zoe Rayne (MontanaHarper)



Category: Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: Dubious Consent, Early Work, First Time, M/M, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1998-04-17
Updated: 1998-04-17
Packaged: 2017-10-11 21:03:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/117096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MontanaHarper/pseuds/Zoe%20Rayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joxer makes a deal with Ares.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strange Love, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love War

**Author's Note:**

> **AO3 A/N:** This is an example of my very early fanfic. For historical purposes I'm leaving it as it was originally posted, including the summary. Even if a lot of it makes me cringe now.

It started out as a normal day. At least what passes for normal in my life, which has gotten sort of strange since I started hanging around with Xena, Warrior Princess. Until I met Xena I never realized how tiring being a hero could be. Sometimes it makes me glad that I'm not as much of a hero as she is, and sometimes I feel bad that I'm glad about that. I used to wonder all the time what it would take for me to be a better warrior, one like Xena, but I don't wonder anymore.

We had been walking all day and when we finally camped I ended up lying on my bedroll staring up at the full moon and stars for a long time, thinking. I was tired, but not sleepy, and so I was daydreaming, wishing I could remember what I was like when I was under Aphrodite's spell. Gabrielle had told me that "Joxer the Mighty" was a warrior. He was strong, skilled with a sword, and popular with the ladies--everything that I'd always wanted to be but hadn't managed.

"So you want to be a warrior, eh?" The voice was deep, kind of like thunder only more subdued, and I recognized it right away. You don't hang around with Xena without finding out pretty quickly what Ares sounds like. You also get used to gods appearing from nowhere on a regular basis. Except that this time Ares' body didn't appear.

"I was thinking it would be nice, yeah," I said, surprised that my voice came out so calmly, or at all. I wondered what Xena would make of our conversation. Ares isn't exactly one of her favorite people...gods...whatever. I must have been pretty tired, because normally I'd be more worried about talking to Ares like this.

"Don't worry, they can't hear us," Ares said, which was when I realized I should probably be more uneasy than I was. "What would you do to become a warrior?"

What would I do? Almost anything. "I've done pretty much everything I can think of. I've practiced fighting, but I never seem to get any better. Xena's been teaching me some mind-control stuff to keep me from being scared. I just can't seem to help falling over my own feet. Jet must have all the coordination or something."

"You can be better than that assassin brother of yours. What you need is a little divine intervention." Ares' voice was still coming out of nowhere.

"Well, I was thinking about talking to Aphrodite," I said. After all, she turned me into a warrior once, she could probably do it again. Maybe this time she could even make it so that I remembered it.

But it didn't seem like Ares liked this suggestion. The ground around me rumbled a little and I decided to shut up until I figured out why Ares picked me, and what exactly he wanted.

"With a little help from me, you could be a great warrior. What do you say, Joxer? Would you worship the God of War in order to achieve your dream?"

"Um..." These questions never used to come up back when I wasn't Xena's travelling companion. I kept staring at the dark sky, trying to think about it logically. If I said no, I probably lost my only chance at becoming as much of a hero as Xena. If I said yes...who knows what Ares would ask as tribute.

"Hurry up, mortal, time is running out."

I thought of earlier in the day, when we had been walking along the road. Some men had jumped us, going after Xena with their swords and trying to kidnap Gabrielle. I managed to stop one of them, but by that time Xena and Gabrielle had taken care of the other eight. Sometimes I feel pretty useless. If I were a real warrior, I could fight alongside Xena. She'd be glad to have me around. And maybe Gabby would be _my_ sidekick.

"Yes. I'll...I'll do whatever you want, Ares. I'll make offerings at your temples, I'll..." I realized that I really had no idea what Ares would want me to do. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Good." Suddenly Ares was next to me, reclining on the ground by my bedroll. Between the light of the moon and the campfire, I could see him pretty clearly. He was propped up on one elbow, looking down at me. I waited for a minute, but he didn't say anything more, just looked at me in a way that was a little bit creepy.

"Um, Ares?"

He reached out and put his finger against my lips. "Hush, mortal. No more talking for the moment. I'm thinking." His eyes were dark and he was frowning.

When he took his finger away, my lips tasted salty. I thought that gods just _looked_ like mortals when they appeared to us, but I guess it's more than that. I started to ask him about it, then I thought about that frown and decided not to. Instead I looked up at the stars some more, wondering if I would feel different when I was a warrior.

"You're already a warrior." I was startled when Ares spoke. I was pretty sure I hadn't been thinking out loud. "No, you weren't. I'm a god, remember. And you think loudly."

"What do you mean, I'm already a warrior?" Had I been on my way to being a warrior and Ares was going to take credit for it? Or did he mean that I was as much a warrior as I'd ever be? I should've known better than to make a deal with a god. Gabrielle had lots of stories about how tricky they were.

"You became a warrior the moment that you agreed to worship me. You can test it out if you like. Later. Right now you have some worshipping to do."

"But it's a day's journey to your nearest temple!" I was already beginning to regret even having _thought_ about being a warrior. I could just see myself, trekking from one temple to the next, never having time to fight because I was too busy kneeling at Ares' altar.

"Ah, but there's no reason to travel to one of my temples when _I'm_ here. I was thinking of a more _personal_ form of worship. Kneeling would be optional."

Ares waved his hand and I suddenly felt chilly. I looked down and my clothes were gone. I wondered if he'd bring them back, or if I'd have to buy new ones. I really liked those pants, too. They were comfortable and not too rough, because sometimes my skin gets a little chafed after walking all day.

"I'll give them back, all right?" Ares sounded more than a little angry, which probably wasn't a good sign.

I kept looking down at myself. I really didn't want to see the expression on his face. "Sorry. It's just...I think about these things."

"Let's just get back to the part where you revere and adore me, shall we?"

I looked up at him and he arched his eyebrow in that way that he does whenever he's about to try to tempt Xena into doing something wrong. The gesture made me more than a little uncomfortable and I could see where Xena might be tempted when Ares looked at her like that. This was definitely not one of my better ideas.

"Oh no, Joxer, this was a _very_ good idea. I can always use more groupies, and you're one of the lucky few who will get to know me better. Much better."

I closed my eyes, pretty sure that I didn't want to watch what was going to happen and wishing that I could just undo everything that I'd done in the last half hour. It didn't work. When I opened my eyes, Ares was still there, still looking at me like I was a rabbit on a spit.

Then he reached out and touched my chest. His fingers felt warm against my cold skin and I shivered, partly from the temperature difference and partly because I was really starting to be afraid of what I'd gotten myself into. I pulled back from his touch and struggled into a sitting position, trying to ignore the fact that I was still naked.

Ares stopped and his eyes widened. "I knew you were inexperienced, but you're actually..." He smiled at me again and it wasn't a nice smile at all. "I didn't think _anyone_ over the age of 14 was a virgin anymore. Certainly not anyone _your_ age."

Great. Just shout it from the rooftops, Ares. Joxer the Virgin. I sighed and tried not to sound too embarrassed. "I'm saving myself for the right person. One day Gabrielle will notice me and then--"

"Change in plans. You're a disciple of the God of War now, which means that _I'm_ the right person. Or, rather, the right _being_." His expression was gentler than his words, but that wasn't very comforting. I still didn't know what he was planning for me. Or maybe I just didn't _want_ to know.

Now I was starting to shake, not so much from the cold as from nerves. The more I tried to tighten my muscles and control the shaking, the worse it got; it's always happened to me when I'm particularly stressed. No real surprise that I stayed a virgin so long. What woman wants to take a quivering, clueless klutz to her bed? It's kind of a vicious cycle.

"Here." Ares handed me a cup of liquid. "Drink this. It'll help."

I swallowed the cup's contents as fast as I could without choking. It was very strong but sweet and tasted sort of like wine.

"Mead," he answered my unspoken question. "It will help you relax."

He was right. A warmth was spreading out from my stomach and the shaking was better, more manageable. I turned to look at him and the world wobbled slightly.

"How's that?" he asked.

"Better. Warm and fuzzy. What did you say that was again?"

"Mead. It's honey wine."

His hand slipped around the back of my neck and he pulled me closer. Suddenly the whole world seemed to be Ares' dark brown eyes, and then his lips touched mine softly and I closed my eyes because the world was wobbling again. One part of me was surprised that a kiss from the God of War should feel so tender and another part was beginning to show signs of enjoying it.

That mead must've been pretty strong, because I didn't even care that I was sitting, naked and hard, kissing Ares in the middle of the night with Xena and Gabrielle only a bedroll away.

"I told you, they can't see or hear us. Don't worry about it," Ares murmured into my ear, then ran his tongue down my neck and bit my collarbone lightly.

I was a little relieved that we had privacy, but my real concern was that I was enjoying what Ares was doing to my body and that Ares had to know that I was enjoying it.

"If you feel so guilty about it, then we can go back to the original plan. _You're_ supposed to be worshipping _me_ , Joxer." He lay back and put his hands under his head.

"But I don't...what do I...I mean..." What am I supposed to do to you, Ares? You know I've never done anything like this before.

A picture formed in my mind. It was explicit enough that I could feel myself blushing, though I couldn't say that I'd _never_ thought about that particular act before.

"It's just a suggestion," Ares said and his voice sounded like he was laughing at me.

Fine. I could do that. Just watch me.

I started to fumble with the fastenings on his vest, then gave up. "You'll have to make them go away, if you want me to..." I just didn't have the words for this situation.

He didn't move a muscle, but suddenly he was completely naked. I wondered if gods get to choose how they appear to mortals. Ares' human form was...well I'm sure Gabrielle could think of an appropriate word, something poetic and beautiful. All I know is that I'd love to look like that: tanned skin, muscles, with hair on my chest--the body of a man instead of the pale, smooth, boyish body I live with.

"You wouldn't like it. It's not who you are," Ares said as he reached up and ran his fingers lightly down my chest. A trail of goosebumps followed and my skin tingled where he had touched me.

The warmth of the mead was fading a little and I was beginning to wonder whether I could actually do what Ares asked of me.

I was just about to ask him for some more of the wine when he said, "No. I don't want you to be drunk. Where's the fun in that? You have to give yourself to me of your own free will."

"But what if I can't... I mean, if I think about this too much I'm going to chicken out, just like I do with everything."

"So don't think. Or don't do it. The choice is yours. I can take back what I've given you, if you'd like." He propped himself back up on his elbow and looked perfectly serious. His voice didn't sound like he was threatening me. Just offering to let me off the hook.

But I couldn't ever go back, could I? I mean, now Ares knew that I was a virgin, even if he never told anyone, and now _I_ knew that being touched by the God of War turned me on. I had gone this far, after all. I had to be strong enough to see it through.

"Good," Ares smiled and suddenly I knew I'd really never had any other options.

Before I could lose my nerve, I reached out and touched his cheek, running my fingertips along the line of his jaw. The rough stubble left them feeling tingly and I wondered how my touch felt to him. Ares smiled and closed his eyes, which somehow made it easier for me to keep going. My fingers seemed to be moving on their own, down his throat and across his chest.

Ares relaxed and lay back onto what had suddenly become a pile of furs and pillows. That made me nervous again because I couldn't help remembering that it wasn't a man, but a god that I was trying to make love to.

"Sorry, but that's part of the deal," he said quietly, not opening his eyes.

Trying not to think about what I was doing, I ran my hand along the center of his chest. I could feel it rise and fall under my hand with each breath and I realized that the body I was touching was as close to mortal as Ares ever got. I couldn't be sure whether he was trying to make it more comfortable for me, but I'd better take advantage of it while I could if I was ever going to work up the courage to "worship" him.

My hand continued across his firm stomach and down one thigh, carefully avoiding his growing erection. I guess he was impatient with my technique, because he covered his cock with his palm, pressing the heel of his hand slowly down the hard shaft from the head to the base. It took me a second to realize that the pain I felt was my lip, caught between my teeth, and that breathing would probably be a good idea.

A droplet appeared in the slit of his cock, glistening silver in the moonlight. Without stopping to think about it, I leaned over and tasted it. It was bitter and salty and not what I'd expected, but I decided that I liked it.

Apparently Ares liked it too, because he gasped when my tongue touched his hot skin. I moved away and he reached for me, winding his fingers in my hair and pulling me back to him. It felt good to realize that I had that kind of power over a god, the power to make him react with pleasure or frustration. That made it easier to go on, to explore him with my mouth and hands.

I licked my way up his shaft, feeling the veins and ridges with my tongue, then took the head of his cock into my mouth. It was smooth and silky, but still firm. He moaned as I slowly slid my mouth further down the shaft, trying to recreate the picture he'd put in my mind.

About that time I realized he was touching me. His free hand was wrapped around my cock and he was slowly caressing it. That was the first time that anyone else had ever touched me there and it was a little odd to feel the familiar stroking sensation while my own hands were busy with something else. Not that I was going to complain, of course. It felt _good_. Definitely better than my usual quick tension-reliever in the morning while Xena and Gabrielle were off finding breakfast.

A less-than-gentle tug on my hair reminded me that I should be focusing on Ares. I continued working him with my mouth, not quite able to take the whole length into my throat without gagging. To make up for it, I wrapped one hand around the base of his shaft, stroking him rhythmically. Ares arched his hips gently, thrusting into my mouth.

I found a sensitive spot, a taut line of skin where the mushroom-like head met the shaft of his cock. When I flicked my tongue against it, he moaned more loudly. I angled my head and body slightly so that my tongue would press against that spot with every thrust.

The rest of the world had disappeared. Ares and I were all that was left, all that mattered. I could smell the sharp scent of his sweat, feel the warmth of his hand against my scalp, taste the bitter fluid seeping from his cock, see his body--bronze and muscled--glowing in the moonlight, and hear his breathy moans of pleasure. He filled all of my senses, and I couldn't have asked for anything more.

His hand slipped from my cock, but it didn't matter because his moans were louder and more frequent and I knew that what I was doing felt good to him. I let him set the speed and rhythm with his hips so that he was doing most of the work. I could tell from the sounds he made that it wouldn't be long before the sensations would overwhelm him.

After two or three more thrusts, his body tensed and I could feel his cock throb. My mouth was suddenly filled with his bitter fluid and I swallowed quickly without thinking. After a moment, his hand slipped away from my head and I could move again.

When I pulled back and looked up at his face, he was looking back at me and smiling. It was a real smile, one that brought out the dimples in his cheeks.

"How was that?" I asked, almost knowing what the answer would be.

"Very good, for a beginner. I'm impressed."

"I guess I'll just have to practice more," I said, knowing as I said it that I would be happy to worship the God of War as often as he'd like.


End file.
